


Countdown

by otapocalypse



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gay, Late Night Conversations, M/M, so much gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-07-28 09:57:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7635820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otapocalypse/pseuds/otapocalypse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just bros being bros</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Second

The sound of loud, boisterous laughter echoed up from downstairs and rang out into the night, Asriel smiling with glee as it reached him on the wooden balcony. The night was painted with warm tones of honey and gold; above, the navy sky was blanketed with stars, real stars, the likes of which Asriel felt he could stare at for hours. 

As a flower, he couldn't feel this- this sensation that he was so, so small in a universe full of galaxies. Life was an exception to the world, he'd learned from Frisk's textbooks when they first returned to the surface. He would steal glances at the books when Frisk was distracted from studying, reading snippets of information. He was sure Frisk had noticed this behavior, but they were tactful enough not to mention it.

The transformation back to his original self had been overwhelming at best, and excruciating at worst. How Alphys had gotten him a soul, he wasn't supposed to know, but he did, and that, combined with the floodgate holding back his emotions being suddenly thrown wide open, made it hard for him. 

He was convinced that without Frisk, he wouldn't have survived. If Chara had called him a crybaby in his previous life, he could only imagine what they would've thought of him then.

A sudden chilly breeze brought him out of his thoughts, but it wasn't uncomfortable; the combination of warm air flowing out of the open screen door and the cool air of the evening was actually quite pleasant.

His ears twitched slightly as, underneath the drunken party goers' antics, he heard light footsteps coming up the stairs, then a thud, and he couldn't help another smile, this one endearing, from spreading across his face. 

Moments later, the Monster Kid was standing beside him, an old rumpled baseball cap from Undyne resting backwards on his head.

"It never loses its touch, does it?" He asked after a moment. "I had so much hope as a kid... I was so sure we'd see real stars... only now do I know how lucky we are."

Asriel glanced at him; this was unusually... deep for MK. 

"Are you afraid of losing it again?"

There was a long silence.

And then,

"Yes." 

The two of them returned their gazes to the sky, simultaneously wanting to soak it in as much as possible and avoid the apprehensive thoughts they were drawing dangerously close to. The fact that the humans may one day take back their "home"...

"I guess we'll just have to savor it while we can," Asriel said quietly. He'd meant it as a joke, to lighten the mood, but it came out sounding dead serious.

MK only nodded silently in agreement.

It was over an hour before the older members of the party called them back in- "It's getting late!" "Shut that door!" "It's too cold!" And they reluctantly trudged back in to the large house, Asriel locking the door behind them and drawing the blinds.

"You can crash in my room if you don't wanna walk home," Asriel suggested, his fur tinging a bit pink as he said this. It wasn't like.. he was being suggestive or anything... right?

"Sure!" MK nodded an affirmative cheerfully, with no signs of noticing Asriel's discomfort.

They didn't end up going to sleep, however, and 2 a.m. found them drunk with fatigue and giggling uncontrollably as they played video games, one occasionally nudging the other or elbowing them in the ribs to get them off focus. 

Asriel paused the game, and stumbled over to lift the blinds on his window, once again exposing the stars. Satisfied, and with a doofy grin spreading over his face, he sat down by MK again and rested his head on his knees, drowsily watching the sky.

MK, after watching him, followed suit and managed to stay quiet for a full five minutes. Then, he mumbled,

"What was it like? Being a flower?"

Asriel drew himself up, blinking in surprise. Sure, plenty of his friends, and himself, typically brought up deep subjects in their late night stupors, but until now, no one had dared ask that question. It made him feel... 

"It was... numbness, mostly. Physically, especially. But I could feel frustration. Anger. At myself, at my loved ones, at my situation." 

He turned to look MK in the eyes.

"I didn't like being Flowey, when I was him but..." And this is where his voice wobbled, tears pricked the corners of his eyes, and he had to swallow against the sudden tightness in his throat.

"I'm grateful... Chara didn't get to survive. I did. I don't know why, I used to feel so much guilt over it... why am I the one who was brought back, you know? And... and i don't want to take my second chance for granted, because so many people would be so thankful for a situation like this and I.. and I..." He took a few deep pants, rubbing at his snoot. 

"Sorry..."

MK thought about this for a moment, then glanced at his friend.

"If you ask me, you're allowed to feel more way than one about this. If you're grateful, but you're still hurting, then..." He shrugged. "Then that's how it is."

Asriel stared at him; another deep thought from MK in the same night? It wasn't like he was slow, he just preferred to be a bit more carefree than this... at least on the outside.

It suddenly hit Asriel that he'd been staring too long, but MK kept returning his gaze patiently and unwavering, and Asriel couldn't decide if he wanted to break eye contact or not. 

His soul started pounding wildly as MK leaned forward, closing the distance between them both before Asriel closed his eyes, feeling his snoot kissed softly by the teen next to him.

"Maybe we should get some sleep," MK said after a moment, and Asriel wordlessly agreed, but as they settled down for the night, both knew it would be a while before they would be calm enough to doze off again.


	2. Third

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More bro stuff #nohomo

"Penalty shots! If she makes this one our team loses!"

MK's voice rang out as Asriel walked in the room, filling him in on the soccer game he'd been trying to miss. However, he couldn't help pausing in the doorway to the room and watching as the human on screen lined up the ball with the goal.

It wasn't that he liked the game or was even interested in it- he'd tried playing when he'd gotten body and soul back, but various lingering aches and pains made it anything but enjoyable- but MK loved it; and so Asriel merely tolerated it now and again. 

He watched as the girl onscreen ran forward, drew her foot back, and-

A loud boom made them both jump, and they were plunged into silent grayness. The pattering of rain and rumble of much more distant thunder followed immediately after.

"AUGH!" Monster Kid threw his head back and slumped into the couch, Asriel snorting as he could almost imagine the teen throwing his arms up in despair if he'd had any. 

He kept his composure, unlike his best friend, and sat next to him on the couch, playfully patting his shoulder. 

"It's gonna be okay, buddy."

"How am I gonna know if we're still in the league!?"

"You'll be able to find out later."

He only groaned in response and closed his eyes, definitely upping the drama to put on a show. Asriel rolled his eyes.

"Come on. How do you wanna pass the time?"

"...Sans tells jokes to pass the time."

Asriel snickered. "Okay... Why is it so hard to have a conversation with me?"

"Huh? Is that a-"

"Because I'm always butting in!" He interrupted, grinning. 

MK gaped, then kicked him. "Oh, you didn't come up with that!"

Asriel laughed. "No, but it's still great. Now it's your turn."

"Hm...What have you got on your face?"

"What?"

"A goatee!" He indicated the slight blonde fluff on Asriel's cheeks, which turned a pleasant shade of pink as he laughed. 

"Alright, alright, what do you call a family of mountain goats?"

"Uh... I don't know."

"Hillbillies." He said smugly.

Monster Kid cackled, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. 

"Okay... that was good..."

Asriel shrugged. "I've had the gift since I was a kid."

"Pfft HAHAHAHA!" MK snorted in the most adorable way as he really lost it this time, and Asriel blushed harder. Gods, he loved that laugh. 

The room suddenly brightened up again, and there was a mechanical humming as the tv began to boot itself up again.

MK's giggles died down. 

"Oh, FINALLY!" 

Asriel snickered, rolling his eyes. At least he'd gotten a bit of a break.


End file.
